Chinese Journal of Sociology ›› 2017, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (4): 1-31.

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The Psychology of Peasant Religious Conversion for the Purpose of Disease Control:The Role of “Belief” in Understanding Chinese Rural Religious Practices

ZHOU Lang1, SUN Qiuyun2   

  1. 1. Department of Sociology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology;
    2. Department of Sociology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
  • Online:2017-07-20 Published:2017-07-20
  • Supported by:

    This research was supported by the Graduates'Innovation Fund of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in the title of "The Relationship Between Disease and Religion in Rural Society" (3007404102).

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Abstract:

This paper focuses on the religious psychology of peasants who undergo religious conversion in order to cure an illness or disease. Field research was conducted in Wang village in Northern Jiangsu, examining the psychology of newly converted peasants. In academic circles psychology of peasants is usually critiqued according to utility and rationality, in this essay belief is a starting point for understanding the psychology of peasants. The natural mentality and family ethics of the peasants lead them to place high expectations on religion as a tool for curing disease and facing lifetime dilemmas. The three levels of religious practice include:religious construction of "belief", emotional embedding of "belief" and "faith". These requirements lead to a transformation of the individual's psychological status from secular to religious. Based on the interaction between individuals and religion which is affected by the initial disease and its seriousness, peasants'religious psychology is divided into three types:the collapse of belief, transition of belief and upgrade of belief. The rituals and different attitudes towards belief constitute the mechanism of developing religious psychology, and also shape peasants' attitude towards faith. Furthermore,this paper also explores the role of "belief" in understanding individual religious psychology, religious conversion and religious revival in Chinese rural religious practices.

Key words: religious psychology, belief, conversion to religion for curing disease, performance and differentiation